Take 1
She stared at the empty ceiling. The fan had been taken down
a few weeks ago. A tine ray of light had managed to squeeze into the room
through the little window. Boxes of Packers and Movers lined the room. It was
cold, a tad bit depressing. The low ceiling felt more pressing than ever to
her. It was official. They were moving.
She reached out her hand and got hold of the packet of
cigarettes lying on the floor. Light? Where is the light? She groped about the
floor, stretching herself out on the sofa to the best of her gymnastic capabilities.
Ah! A lighter! God knows whose lighter is this. In all the gloomy pressing
darkness it was next to impossible to actually see the damn thing. She narrowed
her eyes trying to decipher the thing clasped in her hand. Nah! It’s
impossible. Her head was spinning. She lit the cigarette and coughed up a lot
of smoke with the first drag.
“Don’t smoke while lying down.”, his voice penetrated the
darkness. She laughed. The room rang with her sad laughter adding to the
melancholy of the grey shades.
“I love you” she whispered.
She rolled down the half packed couch on to the floor. He was
right there, lying on the floor. She went and hugged him tight.
“I don’t know why we have to move. It feels like home, right
here.” She whispered into his ears, embracing him. “But, we have to, I guess.” she
added, almost like an afterthought.
“Babe, really you must quit smoking pot. You just go nuts!”.
He looked back and smiled, pulling her closer to his chest.
“Well, you always said that you love the nut job that I am!”
“True that. You really are one crazy woman.” He laughed. His
laughter had a hint of warmth. It spread through the room as if filling the
dark corners with a trickle of sunshine.
“Honey, it’s our anniversary you know.” She said, putting
her head on his chest. Lub-dub, lub-dub...she could almost count his heart
beats. It was just like old times. Sure they had had their rough patches. Which
couple does not, after seven years of marriage? But now that the necessary
things had been sorted, they were them again.
“Babe, I didn’t get time to buy you a present. I will get
you one the moment we move to our new home.” He smiled.
“Aw honey! But I already have one for you!” She complained
mockingly.
“Really? Show me!”
“I will give you a demo of it in the phone and then you can
take a look at the real stuff. It’s in the bedroom.”
“Boy, you really are a tease aren’t you! Come on show me!”
She pulled out the phone from her Patiala pocket. Thank god
for these patialas with pockets, they really do come in handy.
“Babe, when did you change your phone?”
“I didn’t. This isn’t mine.”
“Wait a minute, this is...”
“Yes, it’s her phone.”
“You knew?”
“Found out a few weeks back. I thought that the ring that
you had bought last week, the one that you had kept hidden in the almirah, was
my anniversary present. But then guess what I saw it on her finger two days
ago. And I knew...”
“How did you get her phone?” His voice was shaken. It was
difficult to tell whether it was from fear or anger. There was almost a trace
of frenzied excitement in it. Her’s was as cool as a cucumber.
“You disappoint me, honey. You of all people should know
better. We have to leave the house tonight. Won’t be able to enter the bedroom
from tomorrow. She will turn out to be one stinking bitch, no doubt! “ Once
again the atmosphere of the room mystified with her melancholic laugh. The smoke
from her almost dying cigarette created a foggy effect. They still lay in each
other’s arms.
“Babe pass me a cigarette.”
Like an obedient ten year old, she handed him the packet and
the lighter. He lit the cigarette. It was impossible to gauge his expression in
the darkness. The silence was a little stifling. She was getting a little
restless. She was growing tired of waiting for him to react. He reacted so
little these days. Maybe he had stopped feeling anything at all. A few months
ago she had felt that she could not feel anything at all. But the moment she
had seen that ring on her fingers, all the emotions ad come rushing back. Jealousy
had gripped her soul. Finally now that she had been put to rest, her soul was
at peace again. Impatient, she took the lighter, which he had been fiddling
with. Wait a minute, the make of this lighter was familiar. She stiffened a
little. He sensed her movement and laughed out loud.
“Come on, Babe, you thought I would never find out?”
“Where is he?”
“We will need a new car, babe. He is no less of a stinker I
am sure.” He slowly turned to look at his wife of seven years. He could make
out only her silhouette. She dropped the lighter and pulled him closer to
herself.
“I love you, you know that?”
“I love you too...”
